AP STYLE: a- (as a prefix)

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For words that start with a- as a prefix, general rules of prefixes apply, yet there usually is no hyphen.

That is, this rule focuses upon words that start with "a" as a separate component of the word, as a separate syllable, such as where the inseration of "a" at the beginning creates the opposite of the meaning of the root word that formed the main portion of the word.

For example, with asymptomatic, the opposite of symptomatic, there is no hyphen. Some additional examples are atonal and achromatic.

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Key Words: AP Style, a- Prefix, Proofreading, Copy Editing, Writing

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